It was the beginning, and also the end.
Gray skies and occasional light rain showers might have greeted the crowds as they entered UST last Friday afternoon, yet when the clock struck 2:00, the rhythmic boom of the UST Yellow Jackets shattered the dampened mood of the whole University.
As the clouds finally unveiled the radiance of the sun, the energy steadily rose with the influx of students and visitors lined up by the gates of the University, eager to join their friends in the upcoming festivities, and people gradually trickling over to the UST Grandstand. With food on the one hand, and pang-sapin on the other, they all searched for a perfect spot to settle into once the program starts. With the audience’s excited chatters, the delectable scent of the food being cooked all around the field wafted through the air, and the blurry of motion of the Paskuhan staff clad in black. Paskuhan had finally begun. The University’s long-awaited festivities during the Christmas season is certainly a unique and unforgettable Thomasian tradition and there is no denying that it has always been on every Thomasian’s bucket list to attend this occasion.
Photo by Miguel Yap
Last Friday UST took us on a brief journey back to our childhoods, each corner of the University was adorned with Disney-inspired lights and decorations—the iconic floating lights, Sven-like reindeers accompanying the Tiger, the grand chandeliers hanging above the Rosarium—enchanted Thomasians and visitors alike. While the festivity can be seen in two lenses; one, a bittersweet experience, as the last Paskuhan of this year’s graduating batch and two, a warm initiation into the Thomasian community for the freshmen, both shared their thoughts and sentiments to TomasinoWeb on this year’s Paskuhan as being either their first of many, or their last. Awe and wondrous gasps reverberated and flurried across the University, filling the hearts of the Thomasians and non-Thomasians alike with joy with every turn of their heads, taking in the breath of the holiday air.
“What I think about Paskuhan is very exciting. The way I see it is very lively and makes us have fun,” says Daniel Armand, an Engineering freshman with face alight with enthusiasm.
And like every Disney-inspired movie, the theme will never be complete without its charming music. As the concert began in earnest, more and more people flocked to the field. As the heart-wrenching tunes of I Belong To The Zoo played, light rainfall showered the crowd—yet Thomasians remained unfazed as – one could say – the rain never bothered them anyway. The blissful feel of the semester ending has rewarded Thomasians with this said event, a breakaway from their day-to-day responsibilities, savoring the opportune moment to unwind and leave their worries behind them in this memorable one-night event.
“So far, sobrang enjoy naman Paskuhan since ang daming tao and since as first year, we get to feel the culture here in UST.” said Ellen Mae, a freshman from the College of Accountancy.
Agree Guerrero, also known as I Belong To The Zoo serenades the crowd. Christine Tapawan/TomasinoWeb
The culture-rich University also breeds talented Thomasians. Several Thomasian acts graced this year’s Paskuhan stage such as Fourplay, UST Jazz Band, John Saga, and Julia Mella. With each passing hour, the crowd grew bigger and bigger. Flocks of students in their best outfits wandered across the University and already getting a head start in participating in the coming revelries of the eve.
As night fell, the famed UST Paskuhan lights finally came to life and the awe-struck crowd, armed with their cameras and phones, roamed around the light displays to take photos, allowing the University to finally show off its festive, holiday colors to its full potential. Thomasians were finally able to show to their visitors the scenery that they had been posting online with such glee and enthusiasm, and the decorative palette of lights certainly did not disappoint any of the attendees.
“This year’s Paskuhan celebration was – by far – the best Paskuhan I’ve ever been to because of the theme. I am a huge Disney baby and the fact that even the fireworks display was just chock full of Disney songs is just amazing to me.” Gaby Domanais said, a Senior from the Faculty of Arts and Letters, remarking on how the use of Disney themes further brought a sense of wonder that fit the holiday season.
As the night began to settle, so did its lively celebrants. Couples took their photos together beneath the trees of Benavides Park. Looks of endearment on their faces, groups of friends sprawled out in different areas of the University, sat down and sharing huge boxes of pizzas, giggling despite their mouths being full. It was already booming with activity and the evening had only just begun..
“It’s more inviting yung atmosphere than the last Paskuhan. Plus, mas maganda yung feeling ngayon dahil mas maraming lights” said Mary Ancheta, a Pharmacy freshman.
With the campus grounds continuously being filled with festive-minded attendees as the night went on, it also became somewhat harder to traverse. In certain areas, one had to push through the sea of people going in different directions, as well as the lines for the food stalls along Osmeña Drive.
Visitors line up for food. Miguel Yap/TomasinoWeb
“[Although] It was a much better experience this year, the number of people on the campus was insane. I couldn’t remember being that tired in the years before just by walking through the street where the food stalls were,” Benjamin Gutierrez, a 4th-year College of Tourism and Hospitality Management student in sharing his sentiments about the number of people that attended this year’s Paskuhan. However, this is not to say that this had ruined his Paskuhan experience for the night still had surprises up its sleeve.
Crowd joins the hype. Ralph Estrella/TomasinoWeb
To keep the evening’s energy alive, the event’s highly anticipated bands such as Quest, Ransom Collective, and Spongecola finally took up the stage and a torrent of people came flooding towards the UST Field. However, despite the rising excitement, the barricades set up over various zones across the field kept the audience in order.
The cold December air was filled with tunes of nostalgia as the bands serenaded the crowd with music they were all too familiar with. When the first beat of “Tuliro” blared through the speakers, the crowd raised their hands and their voices as they sang along.
Spongecola’s front man, Yael Yuzon in the sea of light. Miguel Yap/TomasinoWeb
In the middle of their set, the audience waved their phones as flashlights and transformed the field into a glimmering sea of stars, swaying along to the melodic rhythms. The lively energy of the people was so overwhelming that it made the performers’ and the audience’ eyes light up with passion to enjoy the moment before them, and continue on in seizing the night.
Then everything went dark.
With their hearts pounding wildly, and their eyes staring intensely at the jet black sky, everyone held their breaths.
Collectives awe rippled through the crowd as the first light decorated the bleak night sky. In the dazzling display of the yearly pyromusical, timeless and classical Disney songs from Tangled and Beauty and the Beast played as the sky became a canvas for a palette of bright and mystical colors that are magnificently exploding.
It was truly magical. With their eyes wide like a child seeing fireworks for the first time–Paskuhan 2018 really brought its magic not just through its lights, but also through everyone’s hearts.
Audience stares in awe of the fireworks. Jacqueline Martinez/TomasinoWeb
“[Compared] to the past Paskuhans, this was my best experience.” added Benjamin Gutierrez in regards to his last Paskuhan experience.
It was no denying the collective energy between the festivity and the crowd amplified the festive feel of the event and cemented Paskuhan 2018 as something that will never be forgotten by the Thomasian community, be it a freshmen experiencing their first ever Paskuhan, or a Senior enjoying their last one as a Thomasian.
While it is the start of many wonderful experience for our dear freshmen as they continue on with their academic journey in the University, it serves as part of a memorable and satisfying conclusion for our seniors as well. Surely, the Paskuhan tradition will still be practiced decades from now, but there is nothing like a Thomasian’s first and last Paskuhan experience that would be a personal experience treasured in their hearts, brimming with joy and nostalgia that are immortalized in photographs and in memory as to how ecstatic they were in seizing the night.
It made us believe in magic, even for just a second.
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